Manu National Park in Peru, where some measurements were taken for the study
Vincent Ghossi
Microorganisms living in their bark absorb methane from the air, giving trees about 10 percent more of a positive impact on the climate than previously thought.
Methane is a greenhouse gas responsible for about a quarter of man-made global warming.
Scientists have already found that some trees that grow in waterlogged soil can release methane produced underground, but the presence of methane-eating microorganisms known as methanotrophs in their bark suggests that trees could also act as a net sink for methane from the atmosphere.
Methane-oxidizing bacteria consume methane…
